FIG. 20 is a partially sectional side view showing a conventional speed variable moving sidewalk. FIG. 21 is a detailed view showing a portion designated by A in FIG. 20. FIG. 22 is a side view illustrating a principle of a typical driving system for the conventional moving sidewalk. In the figures, numerals 61 and 62 designate treadboards and guide rails, respectively. The system further includes guide rollers 63, link rods 64, driving motors 75, rubber tires 82 and driving motors 83.
The speed variable moving sidewalk is constructed such that treadboards are made to move in a forward or backward direction within a plane while moving speeds of the treadboards are accelerated or retarded by sliding the treadboards transversely with respect to the advancing direction thereof. In FIG. 20, treadboards 61 move forward or backward and right or left along the guide rail 62. Since each treadboard 61 is connected with adjacent treadboards 61 as shown in FIGS. 20 and 21, a link of the treadboards 61 may be considered to be a kind of a chain loop. In order to drive the looped treadboards 61, a plurality of rubber tires 82 being rotated are brought into contact with the lower side of the treadboards 61, whereby the frictional forces given by the tires conveys the treadboards 61. The treadboards in inverting sections are also-driven in the same manner. In some embodiments, the treadboards may be driven using a liner motor 91 as illustrated in FIG. 25.
The conventional system includes a treadboard aligning mechanism, as shown in FIG. 26 (a side view) and FIG. 27 (a transverse sectional view). More specifically, the treadboards 61 are aligned and conveyed along guides 74 while cam followers 73 attached to treadboards 61 being engaged with threaded cams 72. This mechanism is driven by motors 75 which rotate threaded cams 72. Accordingly, the driving system of the whole sidewalk includes in total five driving motors, that is, two driving motors 75 for the inverting sections and three driving motors 83 for driving treadboards (in practice, the number of the driving motors 83 required is decided based on the number of the treadboards and the length of the system). The five motors in the system are controlled so that all the treadboards exactly proceed without any speed difference. As mentioned above, the treadboards are linked with the neighboring ones. This situation will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 20 and 21. Each treadboard 61, while being connected with adjacent treadboards 61 by means of linking rods 64, is supported by rollers 63 which enfold the guide rail 62. When the treadboard 61 is turned up side down in the inverting section, a fixing link 65 provided on the linking rod 64 is drawn out from the treadboard 61, so that the linking rod 64 can move freely inside a slider 66 as shown in FIG. 20. When the inversion is complete, the linking rod 64 is re-fixed to the slider 66 through the fixing link 65. Then, the treadboard 61 is reconnected with the adjacent treadboard 61 going ahead and proceeds. The transversely sliding action or right and left movement of the treadboards 61 is performed by the movement of the slider 66 along a groove provided inside the treadboard 61.
In the conventional technology of speed variable moving sidewalk systems, provision of a continuous moving handrail has not yet be developed in practice since it is difficult to vary the moving speed of the moving handrail in correspondence with the moving speed of the treadboard which changes widely ranging from a low-speed region to a high-speed region (about two to five times). Therefore, a typical moving handrail is divided into some or several parts as shown in FIG. 28, so that each part of the moving handrail is driven in a different speed approximately equal to respective part of treadboards flowing. In the conventional moving handrail of divided type, overlapping portions is created to form jointing portions between handrail portions 81, 82 and 83 as shown in FIG. 28.
The conventional speed variable moving sidewalk is constructed such that each treadboard is connected with adjacent treadboards while being transversely slidable relative to adjacent treadboards. Hence, if each treadboard is assumed as a constituent of a link, the sidewalk forms a looped structure. This structure, however, presents the following problems.
(1) Any forces, vibrations etc., acted on one treadboard are transmitted to all the other treadboards, particularly, jointing portions receive various forces such as tension, compression, resistance generated by sliding and the like, therefore, the jointing portions should be enhanced in strength, rigidity, durability etc., in order to resist the forces just mentioned. Further, in consideration of impacts caused, especially at start and stop of operations, it is necessary to construct the system totally reinforced in strength, rigidity and durability. PA1 (2) Since some or several driving motors for driving the system must be exactly controlled on their speeds in order to synchronize one with the others, the apparatus needs a complicated configuration and therefore the cost becomes high. PA1 (3) As the length of the apparatus becomes long, the system requires a larger number of .rubber tires abutted against the underside of treadboards for driving. This fact also makes the aforementioned control system of the apparatus more complicated. PA1 (4) Start and stop of operations are performed by way of the rubber tires, so that the provision of emergency stopping function requires an additional number of rubber tires. PA1 (1) In order to solve the problem of the strength, rigidity and durability relating to the jointing portions in the conventional apparatus, each treadboard in the system of the present invention is constructed so as to be able to move independently of the others by eliminating the use of joints between treadboards. PA1 (2) In order to simplify the configuration of the apparatus and therefore reduce the cost thereof, the apparatus of the present invention is designed in such a manner that a plurality of driving motors are mechanically synchronized thereby eliminating the need to exactly control rotational speeds of the motors individually. PA1 (3) The rubber tires for driving are left out of the apparatus to eliminate the problem relating to the use of the rubber tires. PA1 an endlessly continuous circulating path extending longitudinally and vertically, comprising: PA1 a large number of treadboards moving along the circulating path, the treadboards being inverted as proceeding vertically in the inverting sections, being transferred horizontally in a longitudinal direction in the high-speed section and being transversely slid right or left relative to neighboring treadboards in the speed variable sections so that the treadboards accelerate or retard to allow passengers to step onto or off from the upper face at end portions of the sidewalk; PA1 a pair of driving chains for the inverting sections which each endlessly keep on circulating vertically and are disposed inside the guide rails in the respective inverting sections disposed at the end portions; PA1 a pair of driving chains for the high-speed section each of which endlessly keeps on circulating vertically and are disposed inside the guide rails in opposite ends of the high-speed section; PA1 a rack chain which is disposed inside the guide rails and outside the pair of driving chains for the high-speed section and endlessly continues to be circulated vertically across the whole part of the high-speed section by engaging the pair of driving chains for the high-speed section; and PA1 a pair of motors for line driving which are each disposed at respective extremes of the circulating path and connected to closer one of the driving chains for the high-speed section through a line shaft with a reducing gear so as to drive a corresponding driving chain for the high-speed section at an appropriately reduced speed, PA1 wherein each treadboard is able to move independently of neighboring treadboards as being guided by the guide rails, and each of the treadboards comprises: hooks on an underside thereof which engage shafts of the driving chain for the inverting section in order to drive the treadboard in the inverting section; hooks on the underside thereof which engage shafts of the rack chain in order to drive the treadboard in the high-speed section; and a roller disposed in a portion being in contact with a neighboring treadboard in order to enable each treadboard to transversely slide relative to the neighboring treadboard. PA1 (1) The total length of a moving sidewalk is divided into plural portions, and the handrail mechanism for the speed variable moving sidewalk includes: a plurality of independent by moving handrail portions for allowing passengers to hold thereon, being arranged for the respective divided plural portions of the sidewalk while all of the moving handrail portions are arranged without overlapping with one another, each of the moving handrail portions being driven at a speed close to the driving speed of nearby treadboards; and a plurality of guiding plates being disposed at jointing portions between adjoining moving handrail portions to thereby guide passenger's hands from one moving handrail portion to the next moving handrail portion. PA1 (2) In the handrail mechanism for a speed variable moving sidewalk according to the above (1), the moving handrail portion is provided on the surface thereof with comb-like grooves so as to be smoothly connected to the guiding plate. PA1 (3) In the handrail mechanism for a speed variable moving sidewalk according to the above (1), the guiding plate has freely rolling balls or rollers arranged thereon. PA1 (4) In the handrail mechanism for a speed variable moving sidewalk according to the above (1), in order to inform passengers of the existence of a guiding plate, an electric indicator such as a winker etc., a sound/voice indicator and/or air-blowing device is provided solely or in combination on the upper face of or in the vicinity of the guiding plate. PA1 (5) In the handrail mechanism for a speed variable moving sidewalk according to the above (1), the guiding plate is composed of an endless belt and the upper face of the endless belt is driven in the same direction at an approximately identical speed as the upper parts of the adjoining moving handrail portions move.
As to the moving handrail, since there are overlapping regions at jointing portions between adjacent handrail portions as stated above, the ends of the handrail portions may disturb the proceeding of passengers in some cases, depending on the proceeding direction of the passenger, thereby jeopardizing the passenger. Further, deviation of the proceeding direction of the passenger from the moving direction of the handrail makes the passenger feel uneasy.